Using Remote Assistance

Transcription

1 Using Remote Assistance With the advent of Windows XP, came Remote Assistance. Briefly described, Remote Assistance allows one individual to control another individual s desktop. Note: Either Microsoft Messenger or Outlook/Outlook Express needs to be installed and working. You will also need an internet connection, preferably high speed access. Dialup works only if the person requesting help stays online until the request for help is completed. Additionally dialup is extremely slow. These instructions are for using Outlook/Outlook Express. Outlook/Outlook Express must already be properly configured and working. Additionally, if the user requesting help is behind a firewall, Remote Access will not work. The following instructions are written to help you get started using Remote Assistance. The first section is for the user wanting help. The second section is for the person giving the help.

2 User Requesting Help 1. Click the Start Menu. 2. Click Help and Support. 3. A dialog box will appear. Below is a sample of what it may look like. Keep in mind that each computer vendor configures their help and support, the result is your help dialog may not look like mine. 4. In your dialog box you will need to locate an item that is marked, Remote Assistance or Invite a Friend to connect or something to that effect. Again each PC may be different but the premise is there. Find the link and click it. I have noticed that if you have the Remote Assistance item, you have to click that then click the Invite a Friend to connect link to get started.

3 5. The next dialog box gives you two choices: Invite someone to help you and View invitation status. We are only concerned with inviting some help so click the Invite Someone to Help You link.

4 6. From the next dialog that appears, enter the address of the person to whom you want to send a help request to. Once the has been entered, click the link marked, Invite this Person

5 7. The next dialog box lets you send a message to the person you are asking for help from. You can just click Continue at this point. 8. The next step is to uncheck the Require the recipient to use a password Checkbox. If you want to, you can extend the amount of time the invitation is valid by setting the number of minutes/hours/days to a larger number in the section marked Set the invitation to expire. 9. Click Send Invitation 10. In a moment a warning dialog box will appear from Outlook. Check the box Allow Access for and click the button marked Yes. 11. Another box will appear, click the Yes button again. At this point an has been sent to the person you want help from. Upon receiving the , the person you want help from will initiate the Remote Assistance. When the Remote Access session starts there will be a number of Approval dialog boxes that come up warning you of what is happening. This is meant to safeguard you against unscrupulous people hacking into you PC. If the Remote Access session is requested by you, then you should always just confirm and approve whenever asked.

6 User Providing Help As the person providing the help you will receive an from your user requesting help. There will be a link in the and upon double clicking it, Remote Access will start. Your user will be notified someone is attempting to access their PC and will have to approve your doing so. Additionally when you are connected you will be in Screen View Only mode. This means you can see what s going on but cannot control their PC. If you look in the upper left corner of your Remote Assistance window you will see a button that is marked Take Control. You must click it to start the controlling portion of Remote Assistance. When you click the button a message is sent to the user asking if it is okay for you to take control. The user must approve the request. Also on the users screen there will be a remote assistance window. If you exit the program on the users machine, Remote Assistance will cease and you will have to reinitiate the connection. Once you have made the connection and have control of their PC, you can do just about anything you could do as if you were there.